Deck boards have sections of decay

Gay White
by Gay White
Can deck boards with sections of decay be salvaged or must I replace the entire board?

  8 answers
  • Kinda depends on where it is. Is it structural or load bearing? Can you post a few pics?

  • Jcraw Jcraw on Apr 17, 2018

    Not to be facetious, but it likely depends too on how high your deck is And how well-used.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 17, 2018

    You can cut and splice in a new piece of Deck board.

    • Gay White Gay White on Apr 20, 2018

      Thanks for your reply. The floor of the deck is approximately 1&1/2 feet from the ground and there is barely any space between the boards. I can't imagine how I would be able to cut the decayed sections out or what tool to use. Any further suggestions?

  • Liv Liv on Apr 17, 2018

    You can replace sections, but the stains and fading might not be the same.

  • Ken Ken on Apr 17, 2018

    You need to cut from floor joist to floor joist so the new piece has support. Making it match the rest of the decking will require painting the entire deck.

  • William William on Apr 20, 2018

    Replace the boards. Not worth the trouble of trying to save something that has started to rot. Most of the time it's from inside out. Can attract bugs/termites and continue to rot.

    • Gay White Gay White on Apr 20, 2018

      Thanks everyone for your input. It seems much more feasible to just replace the boards. I don't want to attract termites, etc., and I definitely want my deck to be safe to walk on. Although the boards are very long, I think I can handle the transport of replacement boards much better than other repair options that I even came up with.

  • Joy30150932 Joy30150932 on Apr 20, 2018

    You should change the whole board because it may be spongy which will become dangerous to walk on.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Apr 20, 2018

    Use a large Drill bit to make holes, into which you can fit a narrow saw. Cut back to midway on a supporting joist. Fix new board between joists and secure.